Perfect School

Jonah:

My kill count was up to a dozen by the time I called Kira in. I could have gone on but it would have been more risky on my own. I told her stay in a certain corridor and pick people off as they tried to come my way. I would continue on searching for the target.

It took twenty minutes to find him and I had killed twice as many. I took out the six guards and moved to inject the man with the medicine I had acquired in the restaurant our first night, not what Marie had supplied. Mine would keep him conscious but more compliant as the drug took effect.

I bound his arms, gaged him, and pulled a pillowcase over his head. I had a small handheld taser which I used to encourage him to follow my orders on the way out. I held the ropes binding him tightly as I yanked him down a hallway, the opposite direction from Kira.

Kira:

I could tell when things started in the building for Jonah. An influx of people tried to enter, but a few distractions later and the groups were much smaller in their entry, keeping an eye out around the building as well for additional threats.

Sitting just out of sight of a pair of guards I overheard a conversation that had me frowning. A body had been found in an alleyway. It was a midlevel guy. I had to force myself to file it away for later when Jonah called me in for help.

It took a bit of work getting there, but I planted myself in the corridor and settled in. Lining up spare cartiges of ammo and other weapons I was ready for what might come my way.

Jonah:

I didn’t tell Kira that I was out of the building until I was a block away. I was all but dragging the guy and shooting anyone that saw me. If he tried to struggle I shocked him with the taser. I headed away from the docks to a small house on the beach that I knew would be deserted from my supplier. I told Kira I would try to get back to the docks.

Kira:

My position wasn't the most fortified, but I managed. If I hadn't been armed with weapons this would have been an impossible task. As it was I was grazed numerous times and I was sure my ribs were bruised after taking a shot to the chest. Thankfully I'd stripped a man of his body armor and it had saved my life.

I twitched when Jonah's voice called in my ear. He was out? Did he even have our target? I brushed the thoughts aside and readied myself to leave. Things had heated up the longer this went on, and getting out even before I started defending the corridor wasn't going to be easy.

And it wasn't. It took everything I had just getting out of the building, but once free I ditched things here and there and stole to replace them until I could blend in somewhat, making my way to the boat.

Jonah:

The closer I got to the house, the fewer people I found. Finally, I was shut inside with the man. I tied him to a chair and pulled out a set of tools from my jacket. I left him alone for a moment to tend to my wounds in the bathroom. I had been clipped by a couple bullets. One when through my arm, the other had grazed my thigh on the same side. I also had a gash on my shoulder from when one of the guards had thrown a chair at me in an attempts to down me. Never before had I been so injured from a job, but then, never before had I killed so many in a day. My overall kill count had nearly been doubled today.

I finished cleaning up and went back to my captive to wring him for all the information he had. I didn’t tell Kira that I had found a place to hide in. I would wait for her to reach out to me. It didn’t even cross my mind to worry if she could make it through the city. Besides, I was closer than ever to getting information that could help me undo Marie. I couldn’t be bothered by Kira now.

I made it to the boat, but it took me far too long as I'd been forced into a half dozen firefights or brawls along the way. But as I stepped into the boat I knew I was safe and that they didn't know I was there. I went below deck, brushing past the nervous looking driver.

I took care of my injuries, and changed clothes into a white tanktop and a pair of shorts. I looked much like any tourist from a distance now, so long as they didn't stare too long or notice the bandages that wrapped my limbs or under my top.

Jonah:

In his drugged state, it wasn’t hard to get him to talk. Only a few times did his conditioning kick in to conceal the information I wanted. In that case, it took a bit of pain to encourage him. When Kira contacted me, I told her that I had to take shelter and wait for an opportunity to make my way to the boat. I told her there were too many patrols to make it back safely with the hostage.

It was a few hours before I decided I had gotten everything I needed from the man. I cut his throat and left him in the house. I made my way to the docks slowly to avoid running into anyone. I only had to take care of a couple people on my way.

As the hours dragged on the driver got jumpy. He started the boat and nearly put it into drive before I slid my knife in between his ribs and into his heart. As it was it was a struggle and I gained a few more bruises worthy of a man under Marie.

After disposing of his body in the water and doing a cursory clean up I sat on a chair on the boat with a pistol in hand staring down the dock. When I spotted Jonah my fingers tightened on the weapon. He was alone. Why was he alone? Where was our target?

When he was close enough I raised the weapon leveling at his chest. “Stop. Where is he Jonah?”

Jonah:

I raised my hands as I approached and stopped just after she told me to. I raked her appearance with my eyes. She was in worse shape than I was. But alive.

“He got shot on my way back to the boat. There was a group that cornered me, I used him as a shield. Someone thought they could shoot me and save him. They miscalculated.” I looked here right in the eyes as I spoke. “Are you going to shoot me, Kira?”

"He's dead." It wasn't a question. Of course he was. I searched Jonah's face the gun trembling for a moment before I stood and held it with both hands, stabilizing my shot. "Would you lie to me Jonah? Oh this trip would you lie to me for your own gain?"

Jonah:

I saw her hands shake. Kira, who was the best shot at the school, better than me, couldn’t hold a gun steady at me. “I, just like you, do what I have to get the job done,” I said steadily. I took a step toward her, still with my hands out at my sides. “Don’t pretend you’re above such things. You tried to seduce me last night after all. Tried to get me to bend to you. You never were intending to truly be with me. It was a clever ploy but I’m sorry to say, I saw through it.”

I shook my head slowly at him. "You know nothing about what I want Jonah." I lowered the gun then. "The driver is dead, he wanted to leave without you and the target to escape the heat. Drive. Get us out of here." Defeat colored my tone and I moved below deck, closing the door behind me until I could collapse on the bed.

We had failed the mission. Jonah thought I had only seduced him to control him like he did me. And he lied to me. I hurt all over, I hurt in ways beyond physical. And nothing had been gained from this. An utter waste of time.

Jonah:

I let her go. There was nothing to be done about it now. I knew she had been genuine last night in bed with me, but I couldn’t let her think she was completely innocent in what happened. I went to steer the ship. I was tired and hungry but all of that could wait. We needed to get away from the island as soon as possible

I felt the ship start to move and I rolled to a sitting position. Briefly I had an urge to get up and join him at the helm, but I shoved that down. Drawing my knees to my chest I pressed my face into them letting the mask shatter as all the thoughts and emotions and worries cascaded through me. I let the tears go but bit my lip to hold in the sounds.

When I had no more left I cleaned up my face and let my mask settle back in. Without the emotions draining me, without all the thoughts my mask was perfect. I didn't leave the room. I didn't plan on leaving unless I had too or when we arrived back to civilization and could return to the plane home.

Jonah:

It was hours before we reached the island where our plane would be waiting. I was tired and ready to sleep but I wouldn’t until we were safely on the plane. Even then, I wondered if I might try to stay awake incase Kira was overcome by a murderous rage. But when I saw her, I knew that wouldn’t be the case. She was downtrodden. For a brief moment I felt a pang of guilt.

From the port we were picked up in a car and driven straight to the airport. I spoke not a word to Jonah. I didn't even acknowledge his presence. I couldn't ignore him, but when we got onto the plane I squeezed past him without a word and claimed a seat at the back. There I laid out my weapons, even the few I'd acquired during the trip and began to field strip them and clean them. I however made sure I always had one loaded and ready.

Jonah had betrayed me. I couldn't trust him. I had doubts that the events of the targets death were as he'd stated. So too did I have doubts that Jonah didn't gain something from this mission. He had everything to gain no matter what he'd done. But at the cost of me losing everything I couldn't guess how much ahead he now was.

I pushed that out of my head. It was useless to think about. It didn't matter anymore. I remained in the back until we landed.

Jonah:

I sat near the front. From time to time I would glance toward the back to see if she had gone to sleep but she remained stubbornly awake. Finally, I decided she was angry enough with me that she probably wouldn’t come near me. I dozed in a light sleep for the remainder of the flight. I would need my strength to face Marie.

I saw him doze off and I only shook my head. Packing away my gear when we began our descent I tried to mentally prepare myself for what was to come. Marie would want to see us right away I was sure, she might even be waiting for us at her private airstrip.

I steeled myself. This was my mission, and with or without Jonah's interference it fell on me that it had failed. I planned to give my side of the story if she asked and take whatever punishment I had to. But somethings would be better left in the dark.

Jonah:

I woke myself up when the plane started to land. There was a car waiting for us on the tarmac. For the first few minutes on the drive through Marie’s city, I said nothing. Finally, I turned to face Kira. “What are you going to tell Marie?” I asked her. I didn’t want her to lie about what I had done. Marie would likely be able to spot it if Kira lied to her outright.

"Whatever is necessary and whatever she asks, as is our job." I stressed the last word with only a glance in his direction. I hoped I would have the chance to change before meeting Marie, I hadn't thought of it on the plane. A long shower also sounded like a treat. Maybe a parfait. I let my thoughts wander down that road, rather than think about Jonah or Marie.

Jonah:

“Well you might not have to deal with me after this. I doubt she’ll send us on another mission together. At least not for a long time,” I said, looking out the window. If I had my way Marie wouldn’t be around long enough to send us on many more missions, together or separately.

"That would be better for both of us I'm sure." His words from the boat rang in my head through my distracted thoughts. 'You tried to seduce me last night after all. Tried to get me to bend to you. You never were intending to truly be with me. It was a clever ploy but I’m sorry to say, I saw through it.'

Shaking my head I focused ahead of us as we wove through the city and pulled up to Marie's building. I got out with the help of the driver, letting him open the car door for me and then the front door of the building. With the duffle bag of weapons slung over one shoulder and pulling my suitcase on the opposite side I drew in a slow breath.

Jonah:

Marie called us to the large training room where she sat in the chairs with a laptop and several papers splayed out around her. She looked down at us, both still in the same clothes we had left in. Both still bandaged up. She was thin-lipped and dangerous looking. She asked Kira to tell her what happened first, then me.

I stood with my hands clasped behind me, staring straight ahead while standing before her. When she asked me to tell her what happened I relayed the events of the trip, leaving out the bits that weren't necessary like our trip to the restaurant, the events in the hotel room, or the shopping trip. I told her about the man who recognized me, Jonah informing me he'd taken care of the body, the discovery of the body, the fight across town, the removal of our boat driver, and Jonah returning without the target.

"We failed Ma'am. I failed the mission."

Jonah:

I gave her the same story, adding a few more details and then explaining my side when Kira hadn’t been there. I gave her the same story I had given Kira about what I had done with the body, and how the target had been shot on my way back to the boat.

She was not pleased. She questioned me extensively on what I had done with the body. Why Kira had overheard what she had. I painted a clear image of what I had done and said I didn’t know what Kira had overheard, but it wasn’t connected.

After much questioning she eventually let us go to get cleaned up and rested. I was agitated after leaving her, but I didn’t show it. I hated the woman. She managed her people poorly. She didn’t know what she was doing.